Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović on Friday expressed alarm at the “excessive use of force” against anti-pension reform protesters and called on France to respect the right to manifest.
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“Violent incidents have taken place, some of which have targeted law enforcement,” the commissioner said in a statement.
“But sporadic acts of violence by some protesters or other misconduct by others during a protest cannot justify excessive use of force by government agencies. Nor are these actions enough to deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly,” she continued.
“It is up to the authorities to enable the effective exercise of these freedoms by protecting peaceful protesters and journalists covering these demonstrations against police violence and against violent individuals acting in or on the fringes of the processions,” she stressed.
Unions of lawyers, judges and left-wing politicians have denounced police violence during demonstrations against pension reforms in recent days.
The NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Friday called on Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin to “put an end to police violence against journalists”.
Dunja Mijatović also expressed concern about the arrest and detention of certain protesters and people close to the demonstrations, and “questioned the necessity and proportionality of the measures they took”.
“Failure to call a demonstration is not in itself sufficient to justify a violation of the right of peaceful assembly of demonstrators or a criminal sanction imposed on participants in such a demonstration,” she noted, referring to Gérald’s words darmanin tight .
The minister said on Tuesday that taking part in an “undeclared demonstration” constitutes a “crime” that “deserves” an “arrest”.
Gérald Darmanin also announced on Friday the opening of 11 judicial investigations into alleged police violence over the past week as part of a mobilization against pension reform.